Ink-well.



S. E. ANDERSON.

INK WELL.

APPLICATION FILED THE. 8, 1910. 1 ,OO8,297, Patented N0v. 14, 1911.

21 I {a f is UNTTED STATES PATENT @FFEUI SIGURD E. ANDERSON, OF DES MOINES, IOWA.

INK-WELL.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SIGURD E. ANDERSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Des Moines, in the county of Polk and State of Iowa, have invented a certain new and useful Ink-Well, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an ink well especially designed to be used in connect-ion with desks and to be inserted in an opening formed in the desk so that its top will project only a slight distance above the desk and so that the ink well will be retained in position and be prevented from upsetting on account of its position in the desk.

My object is to provide an ink well of this kind having a cover so arranged that in one position it will form a dust tight seal for the ink well and so arranged that it may be readily, quickly and easily moved by the operator to position where access may be readily had to the ink well.

A further object is to provide an ink well of this kind that may be detached from the desk without releasing any fastening devices or screws so that the ink well may readily, quickly and easily be removed to be cleaned or for other purposes.

A further object is to provide a sliding cover for an ink well made of one piece of metal and of simple and inexpensive construction, and connected with the ink well without screws or the like and so arranged that it can not be detached from the ink well and also so arranged that it will form a tight cover when in position over the ink well, and also so arranged that it may slide easily to position for uncovering the ink well.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the ink well and cover, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows a central, longitudinal, sectional view of an ink well and cover embodying my invention, and placed in position in a desk, the cover being shown in its closed position. Fig. 2 shows a top or plan view of a device embodying my invention. Fig. 3 shows 'a sectional view on the line 33 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 shows a side elevation of a modified form of the upper portion Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed. February 8, 1910.

Patented Nov. 14:, 1911.

Serial No. 542,790.

of the ink well and cover embodying my invent-ion, the lug on top of the sliding cover being omitted and Fig. 5 shows a top or plan view of the ink well with the slide cover removed.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, I have used the reference numeral 10 to indicate that portion of a desk shown. The ink well including the guide device on its top is formedcomplete of a single piece of glass and is of such size and shape that it may readily and easily be molded in the ordinary manner. It comprises a round body portion 11 and a top 12, said top being provided with an opening 13 which is in line with one side of the interior of the body portion as shown in Fig. l. The diameter of said opening is slightly less than one half the diameter of the ink well body portion.

On top of the ink well, I have formed a cover guide which comprises a body portion 14 of substantially the same length as the diameter of the top of the ink well and of a width slightly greater than the diameter of the opening 18. This guide device surrounds the opening 13 which, as may be seen in Figs. 1 and 2, is formed in one end of said guide. The sides of the guide are parallel with each other and are tapered downwardly and toward the center of the guide as clearly shown in Fig. 3. At the side edges of the guide near their top are two shoulders 15 on each side extending outwardly. The top of the guide is flat throughout its entire length except that surrounding the opening 13 is a raised rounded rib 16. This rib is of a minimum thickness at its point nearest the center of the guide and it is of a maximum thickness at its point adjacent to the edge of the ink well top portion so that a rib is provided that is inclined from the outer edge of the top toward the central portion thereof. This may be seen in Fig. 1.

Surrounding the top of the body portion of the ink well is an annular rounded rib 1.7 to limit the downward movement of the ink well in the desk.

The ink well cover is formed complete of a single piece of sheet metal and comprises a flat body portion 18 having one end rounded at 19 to conform to the end of the guide 14. The sides of the sliding cover are inclined downwardly and toward a longi tudinal, central line to fit against the sides of the guide 14 as shown in Fig. 3. These sides are so shaped and proportioned that they may slide freely on the sides of the guide from one end to the other thereof and they are made large enough so that they may freely travel over the shoulders 15. By this means an upward movement of the sliding cover is prevented and the cover is permitted to slide longitudinally. In order to limit the movement of the cover longitudinally, I provide on each side of the cover two lugs 20, each formed by making two parallel cuts in the sheet metal cover adjacent to the rounded corner thereof and pressing the metal between the cuts inwardly to fit against the side of the guide between the shoulders 15. These lugs therefore limit the longitudinal movement of the cover by engaging the shoulders 15. The said shoulders areso spaced on the guide that when the lugs are in engagement with the shoulders at one end of the guide the cover is in its closed position and when they are in engagement with the lugs 15 at the other end of the guide the cover is in its open position.

In Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings I have shown a handle 21 extended upwardly from the top of the cover to be grasped by the operator in moving the cover. In Fig. at the handle is omitted and the sides of the cover are provided with a series of vertical grooves 22 to form a firm grip for the operators fingers. The latter mentioned grooves form an additional advantage by leaving the top of the cover perfectly smooth without any projections that might scratch or injure articles on the desk and at the same time the cover may be grasped firmly and easily moved by means of the operators fingers on opposite sides of the sliding cover.

In practical use it will be seen that my improved ink well may be connected with a desk by simply boring a hole in the desk of a size to fit the ink well body. No other fastening means of any kind need be applied to the desk. It will also be seen that the glass portion of the device may be molded complete in one piece in the ordinary manner so that this portion of the device may be manufactured at a minimum of expense. Furthermore the entire cover feature is made of a single piece of metal which may be made by means of dies, or forms, and which may be applied to the ink well guide by simply sliding it on from one end and after it is in position the lugs 22 may be bent inwardly to thereby prevent the cover from being removed from the guide. By this arrangement all fastening devices such asscrews between the cover and the ink well are made unnecessary. On account of the top of the ink well cover being smooth and fiat, it is not likely to injure any articles on the desk. Furthermore by combining the feature of the inclined raised rib 16 with the cover having its side edges made to overlap the inclined side edges of the guide, the said cover when in its closed position will be yieldingly held against the rib 16 to not only form a dust tight joint but at the same time to hold the cover in position against accidental misplacement. When the cover moves to its closed position the metal will spring upwardly a sufficient distance to yieldingly hold the cover firmly to the raised. rib. However the cover may freely slide longitudinally of the guide when in any other position than its closed position, as illustrated in Fig. 1, and when in said closed position a comparatively slight amount of power applied by the operator is all that is necessary to move it to its open position and on account of the notches 22 formed in the sides of the sliding cover the operator may firmly grasp it sufiiciently for the purpose of moving it on the guide.

I claim as my invention:

1. An improved ink well, comprising a body portion designed to contain ink, a raised guide formed integral with the top of the body portion and having its sides inclined downwardly and toward the longitudinal center of the guide, said guide being provided near one end with an opening leading to the interior of the ink well, said guide being also provided with a rib surrounding the opening therein, and said rib being tapered from a maximum thickness at its side adjacent to the end of the guide to a minimum. thickness at its side adjacent to the central portion of the guide, and a cover formed of a single piece of spring metal having its side edges fitted to the side edges of the said guide and inclined downwardly and toward the center of the guide and so arranged that when standing in position at the end of the guide opposite from the opening into the ink well the slide may freely move upon the guide and when moved to position to cover the opening in the ink well the inclined side edges of the slide will yieldingly engage the inclined side edges of the guide and the body portion of the slide will be yieldingly held in firm contact with the rib by the resiliency of the metal of which the slide is formed.

2. An improved ink well, comprising a body portion, an integral guide device at the top of the body portion provided with parallel sides inclined downwardly and toward the center of the ink well, said guide being formed with shoulders at their edges and also with an opening to provide access to the interior of the ink well, and a slide formed of a single piece of spring metal and having its side edges fitted to the side edges of the guide and being capable of being placed on the guide from one end, the material of which the slide is made being formed With lugs at its sides, which lugs are capable of being bent inwardly after the slide is placed in position on the guide, and said lugs are also designed to coact with the shoulders on the guide to prevent the slide from being detached and to limit the longitudinal movement of the slide, for the purposes stated.

SIGURD E. ANDERSON. Witnesses:

M. B. GoLDIzEN, MARY WALLACE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

